I don't think ALL the jump scares needed to be cut out, but far far less than every 2 minutes. I suppose cutting out most of the jump scares would basically make it a different movie anyway.

The thing is: I don't think Hereditary necessarily has that strong of a premise comparatively, nor does Midsommar, but both are heavily praised for the fear it induces without relying on jump scares. They're not really that praised for the story, moreso the atmosphere. Both could have been LITTERED with scares, but they choose not to and it sticks with the viewer much more (usually).

I think Smile's premise did have potential like those two. Midsommar didn't have much to its plot either, but it was more effective as a slow burn showing her descent into madness and eventually joining the cult. It could have been similar with Smile as well...without the cult.

This post wasn't really criticism of Smile or anything, simply a wish of "what could've been." A hallucinatory trauma demon altering your perception and driving you to insanity is a terrifying concept and without the over-reliance on scares, I think it could've been a good, if not a decent psychological horror. But maybe I'm biased since I prefer horror with deep internal fear than physical scares.